


A Good Night's Sleep

by AnitaB



Series: Sleeping Verse (Jane/Lisbon) [1]
Category: The Mentalist
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 16:25:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2658572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnitaB/pseuds/AnitaB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set some time in the future but it diverts from canon well before the current season (4ish I think), Jane finally gets a good night’s sleep. And maybe something more along the way.  It’s currently hurt/comfort, but I got it  to Jane/Lisbon shippy if I had to beat in both their skulls with a crowbar. I own nothing and nothing I do own would be worth getting in a lawsuit. I am the queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Day After the End

Title: Good Night’s Sleep   
Author: AnitaB  
Author’s Notes: Set some time in the future, Jane finally gets a good night’s sleep. And maybe something more along the way. It’s currently hurt/comfort, but I’ll get to Jane/Lisbon shippy if I have to beat in both their skulls with a crowbar. I own nothing and nothing I do own would be worth getting in a lawsuit. 

Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter one: The day after the end. 

He had slept. He had gotten a good night’s sleep. That was surprising enough. But when he thought about all the circumstances surrounding last night… just how well he’s slept was nearly miraculous. 

First, he wasn’t on his leather couch in the CBI offices. That was the only place he normally got any sleep at all. Second, he wasn’t alone. No one had slept near him since Red John took his wife and child. And now, someone had a death grip around his waist. He could feel a face tucked close against his shoulder and knees curled into the back of his. Small hands were spread wide against the buttons at the front of his shirt. 

//Teresa Lisbon…\\\ She was here, in his house… for him. Jane remembered the look of horror on her face at the sight of the mattress under the still present smiley face on the wall. He’d seen in her eyes the knowledge that he still lived here in more than the physical sense, trapped in the loss and the need for vengeance. And she wouldn’t leave. A few feet from the edge of the mattress she was now sharing with him, Lisbon had stripped off her shoes and suit jacket, making him do the same. In moments she had dragged fresh sheets and a big, fluffy blanket out of the closet and made up the bed. Lisbon had actually tucked the blanket up around their chins before kissing him on the forehead and pulling him in close against the sound of her heartbeat through her shoulder. Small fingers had stroked through his hair and shattered the cold numbness he’d been feeling. He had cried himself to sleep in her arms. 

But he had slept better than he had in years and woken up with a sense of peace. Some part of him still couldn’t believe it. 

Her body shifted against his back, her hands tightening against his ribs as her chin dug into his shoulder a little. “Jane?” 

Her arms loosened and her body language said she wanted to see his face. Jane turned onto his back but kept her hand against his ribs with one of his own. “Lisbon.” 

Her eyes searched his, her fingers slowly sliding back and forth against the beat of his heart. “How do you feel?”

“It wasn’t a dream, was it? It really happened?” On its own, his arm slid over her shoulders to pull her closer. Jane liked how she felt against his side. 

“It happened, Jane. We caught Red John. He’s behind bars and the State of California is going to sentence him to death. He will spend the rest of his days on death row until we watch his ass get strapped to a gurney and enough poison is injected to paralyze him while he suffocates. If we’re lucky, it’ll be slow and painful.” The smile on her face was a little dark before she shifted to press a kiss to his forehead. “It’s over, Jane. It’s finally over.” Jane wrapped both arms tight around her waist, crushing her against his chest and burying his face in her hair. Some part of him had never really believed that this day would come. Her arms held him tight, her fingers fisting in the back of his shirt.

The closer she got the less his chest hurt. The tighter her arms were around him, the better he could breathe. But he absolutely needed to see her eyes. Jane pulled back enough to run his fingers through her hair and give her a soft smile. “I wish you could have met them. They would have loved you.” 

He’d never seen her fight back tears with a smile on her face before. “Me, too. Tell me about them.” 

For the first time in longer than he could remember, Jane thought about his wife and his daughter without first seeing the crime scene tape and the blood. He saw his daughter at the kitchen table with a box of crayons. He saw his wife at the bathroom door watching him shave in the morning, pressing a tiny little kiss to the spot where he nicked his jaw. 

“My little girl loved to draw. She always gave me carrot orange hair and made me smile from ear to ear. My wife always knew what to do or say to make anyone feel better.” Once the flood-gate had been opened, Jane couldn’t seem to get it closed again. He spent the next hour with his head on her shoulder sharing every happy memory he could think of. Lisbon just listened with her arms around him, her fingers running through his hair. 

It was beautiful.

000

It was almost like she’d never really known him at all. Lisbon had worked day in and day out with this man for years, but she’d never seen him like this. All his manipulations, his jokes and games -- All his shields -- were gone. When the handcuffs clicked around Red John’s wrists, something inside Jane just… collapsed. It was like the vengeance quest he’d been on for so many years was the only thing holding him upright. There was no way on earth that she was leaving him alone right now. By the time she’d walked into his bedroom to see a mattress on the floor under the smiley painted in his family’s blood… it almost made sense. Creepy as hell, but it fit somehow. 

But Damnit, it was time for Jane to open the hell up and let someone help him with this. Lisbon would crack his skull with a crowbar if that’s what it took. Making him let her hold him was just the first step. The first wet spots of his tears on her shirt broke her heart. She didn’t think he noticed her tears falling into his hair as she cuddled him closer. Eventually the shaking muscles all over his body relaxed and Lisbon found herself something between a teddy-bear and a night watchman. 

It was as much for herself as for him that she stayed wrapped around him all night. Holding Patrick Jane tight against her body was somehow very calming and soothing. He was here, he was safe. And most importantly he hadn’t made her shoot or arrest him trying to kill Red John. 

The next step was getting him to talk. She had listened for years as he wouldn’t shut up about Red John, but she’d never gotten even the slightest details about his family before the tragedy. Lisbon wanted those happy memories as much as she needed Jane to get back in touch with them. Red John had stolen too much from him to take all those past times too. 

When the words trailed off bit by bit, Lisbon started planning. Jane would not spend one more night in this house. And she had the will power and if necessary, the gun, to make sure he didn’t. But that did mean she had to let him out of her arms and off the bed. It was like a band-aid. If you rip it off quick it was better than the slow inching pull. “Get up, Jane. We’re getting out of here.” Patting him on the back, Lisbon began the process of sitting them both up on the edge of the mattress. “You’re not staying in this house any longer.” 

“Lisbon…” He gave her a slightly panicked look. Apparently he was still a little unsteady. //Good, all the better to move this along.\\\

“No, Jane,” She spread one hand against his chest and gestured at the room with the other. “This isn’t healthy.” Resting all ten fingers over his heart Lisbon told him the plan and the consequences for any disobedience. “We are getting the hell out of this house and taking everything and everyone we care about with us. You’re packing your things and taking your wife and daughter with you. I’m helping you pack and taking you with me. Red John stays behind. You can crash at my place or we’ll set you up in a hotel. But know this… if you set one foot back in this house without me, I will burn this building to the ground. We are leaving.”

Jane went completely still for a moment. She didn’t even think he was breathing. Lisbon thought for a split second that she’d pushed him too far too fast. Then it was her breathing that stopped. Jane caught her face in his hands and planted a hard but simple kiss right on her lips. His shirt bunched between her fingers as she fought to control every muscle in a body suddenly trembling apart at the seams. Patrick Jane was kissing her. And this wasn’t some friendly peck on the cheek or a familial kiss on the forehead. This was … something else entirely. 

Before she’d done more than breathe in a sharp gasp, those lips pulled back. Jane pulled her tight against his chest and buried his face in the side of her neck. “Thank you, Teresa.” Her arms found their way to his shoulders, more for balance than any actual thought or plan. 

It was a few moment before Lisbon knew she could manage to talk without the trembling of her nerves showing in her voice. “Come on, Jane, let’s go.” 

000


	2. Tying up Loose Ends

Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter two: Tying up loose ends 

In some ways it was easier than he thought it would be. There were a few boxes and bags near the front door that would be going with him and Lisbon today. A larger pile of crates was stacked by the garage to be put into storage until he landed somewhere more permanent. With only a few carloads of boxes, this house would be completely empty. He’d even smiled a little when putting his daughter’s favorite teddy bear into a box with a family album and a bottle of his wife’s perfume. This box would be going with him. 

It had been even easier to kiss Teresa Lisbon, just once. Jane wouldn’t have made it to and through Red John’s capture without her. She had saved him so many times and so many ways. He didn’t understand it really. Why this strong and beautiful woman had done so much for him. Why she felt so perfect, so necessary in his arms. Jane could still taste her lips against his, could feel her hands balling up in his shirt. He could hear the gasp on her lips and feel her body pressing closer in his arms. He remembered the soft look on her face as she looked through that family album with him. He remembered the determination in her voice as she promised arson on his behalf and the concern in her tears as she held him close last night.

What had he ever done to earn that kind of woman and her care for him. //Teresa,\\\ 

He also thought that the decision of what to do with his time and his life after Red John would be harder. But it was the easiest thing of all. He would stay with the team and catch other people’s criminals… if Lisbon would have him.

“Hey, Jane,” 

The woman in question poked her head around the corner, dark hair curlier than she usually wore it to work. And now he knew how good that hair smelled and that it felt so much softer than it looked. “Yeah, Lisbon?” 

“Looks like we’re gonna be a little longer at this and it’s almost lunchtime. Should we order in pizza or Chinese?” 

He tilted his head to the side and thought about it for a moment. //I have a better idea.\\\ “Actually, there’s this little Italian place a couple blocks away. They have the most amazing alfredo sauce and breadsticks to die for. My treat.” 

A smile curved her lips and his moved to match. “You’re on. Take ten more minutes on this room and then we’ll walk over.” Her hair practically bounced as she turned to leave the room. She should always leave it naturally curly. It made his hands twitch with the need to run his fingers through those curls. 

Jane listened a moment for the light chink of the glassware and dishes Teresa was packing in the kitchen. He should do something nice for her. Not at nice as she really deserved because anything that expensive would make her feel uncomfortable. But something to show her… just how much she really meant to him. To thank her for everything. 

Jane needed to give her love and affection, lots of it, not just emerald jewelry. Taking her to lunch at his favorite restaurant wasn’t even a drop in the bucket. He reached for the homemade quilt on the big girl’s bed. The one they’d had to wash only after she was already asleep or their stubborn little girl simply wouldn’t go to bed at all. Jane folded the blanket small enough to top off the box before reaching for the lid. This one held the most precious pieces of his wife and daughter’s things. 

And it was time to go. 

Jane buttoned up his vest and grabbed his and Lisbon’s suit jackets from the bedroom. He found her in the kitchen putting the lid on her current box as well. Her hand reached out for a new box but he beat her to the cardboard. Fingers sliding along her wrist, Jane lifted the back of her hand to his lips. “If my lady is hungry, lunch awaits.” Releasing her hand, he held out her jacket with a slight bow. “May I offer my lady’s coat.” 

He loved the look on her face. Her eyebrow arched and her lips pursed. Jane could see sarcasm written all over her. But she just gave him her back and let him help her into the jacket. Slipping into his own jacket, he offered his arm to the sight of her smile. 

“You know you’re a goofball, right, Jane?” Small hands curved around his forearm even as their owner shook her head at him. But she was still smiling. That was more than good enough for him. “You are such a goofball sometimes. Remember it’s your treat.” 

“It’s the least I could do.” 

At the door, she took his house key from him and relocked the door. The whole ring of keys disappeared into her pocket before she slid both hands back into place on his arm and leaned into his shoulder. She was indeed very serious about keeping him out of this building unless he was properly supervised. “Oh, I’m sure there’s a lot more you could do. But let’s start with lunch.” 

000

Somewhere in the middle of the walk they naturally shifted away from the very formal arm in arm position. How exactly they got to full, intertwined fingers hand-holding, Lisbon couldn’t really say. Not that she minded in the slightest. There was something very right about walking down a street with his hand in hers, seeing his smile, and knowing for once that it wasn’t a manipulation or a game. This was Patrick Jane at her side. And it was… really nice. 

At the restaurant, Jane gave one of his showmanship smiles to the maitre d’ who had recognized him instantly. “Oh, Signor Jane, it’s been so long since you came to see us. Do come in. Your table will be ready in just a moment.” The man in the black suit literally snapped his fingers at a passing waiter. “Antony, clear Signor Jane’s table and bring a bottle of 2002 pinot noir.”

“Yes, sir.” The waiter practically ran to obey him. Just what had Jane done to get this kind of service at a place he hadn’t been to recently? It was just another weird, puzzling thing about the man. Give him five minutes and he could get nearly anyone to do anything he wanted. It usually drove her mad. 

A warm hand pressed into the small of her back, distracting Lisbon from her train of thought. Jane gave her a warm smile and gestured her to follow their still speaking host through the room. Something was tickling the back of her brain but she couldn’t get a grip on what was bothering her. It had something to do with Jane’s different smiles. 

Her eyes lingered on his face as they sat down at a truly excellent table. It was probably their best table. In the last 24 hours Lisbon had learned more about Jane than she’d known in all the years before it. She’d explored all the walls and defenses he’d built around himself. Then Lisbon got it. It made perfect sense, like what Jane must see when he read a suspect inside out. 

Jane had brought her inside his defensive walls. The way he acted with the maitre d’ and the waiter was exactly that, an act. It was the way he’d acted around suspects and witnesses in every case they had ever worked. He was smooth, charming, the ultimate showman and manipulator. The smiles, looks and touches he’d given her in the last day were different. They were softer, more insecure. They were real. 

Jane had let her in… at long last. 

Lisbon reached across the table, twining her fingers through his on top of the checkered table cloth. His hand tightened around hers as his eyes slowly lifted from the menu to warm first her hand, then her face. She didn’t know what she’d planned to say, but any words she could get to her lips disappeared at the soft, warm smile on his lips. It was there, that little bit of child-like insecurity, like a boy to his first crush. 

It was stronger than before. But when she thought back, Jane had never treated her like he did everyone else. His smile had always been a little more real for her. And her nerves had always known that. 

“Like I told you, their alfredo sauce is amazing and the breadsticks are the best I’ve ever had. But really, everything here is very good.” She wasn’t the only one wondering what to do here. Hiding behind a food conversation would at least give her more time to think. 

“Have you tried the sea food here?” Lisbon dragged her eyes to the menu, but didn’t even try to make herself let go of his hand. They’d slept and cried in each other’s arms last night and managed to not talk about it. He’d kissed her and they managed to not talk about it. Hand-holding would be easy to ignore in words. They were very good at talking around the things that mattered a little too much for words, had been for years. 

“The shrimp is my favorite, but the fish is also good.” 

Their waiter… Antony?... appeared at the side of the table with a wine bottle. “Your pinot noir,” He poured a small amount into Jane’s glass and waited. His eyes didn’t once land on their joined hands or on her lack of a matching wedding ring. //Very discrete,\\\ At an approving sound and nod from Jayne, Antony filled both their glasses. “May I take your orders?” 

Jane, ever the gentleman, gestured with his free hand for her to go first. “I’ll have the shrimp alfredo, please.” 

The waiter turned to Jane and Lisbon watched his smile change just a little. “The chicken alfredo, please. And we’ll need your world-famous breadsticks and dipping sauce as well.” 

“Right away. I’ll be back momentarily with your salads and breadsticks. Enjoy your meal and please don’t hesitate to ask for anything.” Menus in hand, the waiter disappeared. Quick and discrete.

Lisbon found herself hesitating a bit. There was something they did need to talk about before they finished packing up his house. And it might be easier here than in the car when it pulled into her driveway. She really didn’t think he was ready to be all alone in a hotel room. Jane didn’t do well with too much free time to be in his own head. //But how to get you to agree.\\\ 

“I’m the oldest kid in my family, and my dad wasn’t always sober. So since I finished college, I made sure I always had an extra room or at least a pull out couch in case one of the kids needed a safe place to crash for a little while.” Her eyes locked onto their joined hands even though she could feel his eyes on her face. “So could you… do me a favor and sleep in my spare room so I don’t stay awake all night worrying about you?”

The low chuckle on his lips dragged her eyes to his face. His smile told her everything she needed to know even before he spoke. “I’d like that, Lisbon.”

000


	3. A Quiet Evening at Home

See chapter one for author’s notes and disclaimers.   
Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter three: A quiet evening at Home

The last of the packing went quickly when they got back to the house. Lisbon’s car was loaded up with his box of memories and a few basic essentials. The rest would be retrieved later. Knowing Lisbon, he wouldn’t get his house keys back until the moving van was in the driveway and his presence in the building was required to tell someone what to do with the larger pieces of furniture. 

The practical considerations had been neatly wrapped up. Now his brain was focusing on something else. Jane could still see the look on her face and feel the grip of her hand when she had invited him home. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known about her dad’s alcohol problem, or that she was the caretaker in her family after the loss of her mother. But Lisbon usually didn’t volunteer personal details. She carefully guarded herself and her emotions, except lately from him. In the last 24 hours, his Teresa had opened so much more to him than her arms or her home. 

He was nowhere near deserving of her, but he would try to be. And part of that would start with being a good house-guest. He’d never had the chance to cook her a real meal before. A quick stop at her local grocery store provided all the ingredients for a nice home-cooked dinner and desert. Tying an apron around his waist, Jane kicked her out of her own kitchen with a smile. “No, you can’t help. Not even cutting stuff up. Go into the living room. Read, watch TV, or whatever. Relax. This is my job.” 

“But, Jane, what if you don’t know where something is?” She was so cute, edging closer to the fresh vegetables and cutting board on the counter. “I can just help with the salad.”

“No, Lisbon. I can find everything I need and I want to cook for you.” Catching her shoulders between his hands, Jane actually steered her out of the kitchen and onto her couch. “No working. If I see a case file out, I’m hiding it until Monday.” He gave her a smile and a scolding gesture. “And don’t think you’ll be able to find it without my help.” 

Part of his brain focused on the exact expression on her face for a moment before heading back into the kitchen. He wanted this meal to be perfect for her. And while he knew he could do it, Jane really should pay attention to the food and not her. At least for now… Later, later he could focus himself entirely on her.

//Cook. You’re cooking for her now.\\\ 

The sauce pan on the stove didn’t even have time to get warm enough for the olive oil before a sound caught his ear. Turning off the burner for safety, he found himself leaving the kitchen to stand at the edge of the living room. Before him was a sight he didn’t get to witness at all often. Teresa Lisbon was listening to music, swaying gently from side to side with her eyes closed and her arms wrapped tight around her ribs. She was holding herself like he wanted to hold her. 

Dinner could wait a few minutes. Cooking couldn’t hold a candle to getting Lisbon into his arms. Jane tossed the towel in his hands onto the kitchen table and crossed the floor to stand just behind her. On the next sway, he covered her hand on her ribs with his own and spun her out before pulling her into his arms. “Every home-made dinner should include dancing. Thanks for the reminder.” 

He adored the quick surprise on her face in the instant before she relaxed into the simple slow dance. Her fingers spread wide over his shoulder as her body leaned close against his chest. She was smiling in his arms. “You’re not setting my kitchen on fire right now, are you, Jane?”

“Would I really be that careless? Especially now that I don’t have another place to go.” Jane pulled her just a little closer to his ribs for the next turn around. “I hope you know that I would never deliberately hurt you, Lisbon.” 

The smile on her face faded into something more serious, but no less precious to him. “I know you wouldn’t. But you do get distracted by shiny things and run off now and then.” Her hand shifted from his shoulder to rest closer to his heart. He let his fingers slide along her back, tucking her in close against his ribs. 

“What shiny things are there right here to distract me?” He knew exactly what was here that could distract him from anything. But did she know? Jane tightened his arms around her waist as her arms finally curled around his neck and her head tucked in under his chin. It was better that he couldn’t see her face right now. Being a cynical pessimist was a good way to protect oneself, but there were times that he did not want to be proven right.

“The things that distract you change at any given moment depending on a giant list of details I never really know about in the first place. It could be nearly anything.” 

His eyes fell closed and he buried a grimace against dark curls. She didn’t know. The woman in his arms had no idea that she was the biggest damn shiny thing in the whole world in the category of what distracted Patrick Jane. And she didn’t know. “Not right now, it couldn’t.” Breathing in the scent of her hair, Jane held her close through the end of the song. Then it was time to pull back, even if he couldn’t make himself go as far as he should. “I should really get back to cooking and if you’re good, I’ll let you make the salad.” 

“Good, I might just go a bit nuts if you’re wandering around my place, just looking at my stuff and doing your ‘pick people apart with the tiniest detail’ thing.” Her head lifted off his shoulder, the smile on her lips just this side of sarcastic. “If I’m with you, I don’t have to worry as much about what you’re gonna find.” 

“Come on, let’s get cooking then.”

000

He certainly hadn’t been lying or exaggerating when he said he could cook. Lisbon found herself on her living room couch after eating quite possibly the best meal she’d ever had. Desert, also excellent, had disappeared faster than was lady-like from the plate in her hands. Licking the last of the whipped cream from the fork, she didn’t let herself do the same to the whole plate before setting it on the coffee table. Jane gave her a smile between bites as she curled into the corner of the couch to watch him finish. His plate joined hers on the table before he reached out and pulled her ankles into his lap. Strong fingers rubbed and pressed into the arches of her feet, warming and relaxing her every aching nerve. 

He’d done the cooking, but she was getting the foot rub? “Not that I’m complaining by any means, but isn’t usually the one who was on their feet slaving over the meal that gets the massage afterwards? Particularly with just how excellent the meal was.”

He gave her another one of his smiles. This one said, ‘Don’t be silly.’ Then he ran tickling fingertips along her soles. “Well, you did make the salad.” Those hands moved up enough to rub heat into her calves. “And you were on your feet all day helping me pack. In heels, no less.” Jane flicked his eyes to the closet she’d dumped her shoes into within feet of the front door. “You’re very practical in your work clothes, but then you add four inches of high heels.” 

“Oh, they’re practical, Jane. I’m the head of the unit and I’m a full head shorter then everyone on my team. Too often height is associated with power and authority.” His fingers hit the ache those high heels left deep in her calves, pulling a low groan from her throat and clenching her hands on the edge of the couch. “Oh… a little higher… I’ve been short and in-charge for a long time. Every little bit helps.”

His hands rested warm and strong against her knees for a moment as his eyes locked to her face with an expression she couldn’t read. Then his fingers started working their way back down her legs, massaging along the way. “Believe me, Teresa, no one who has ever met you has any doubt about who is in-charge. You have more authority barefoot in sweats and than other people have in thousand dollar suits.” 

That was the sweetest thing he’d ever said or done. Ever. “Then why in the hell can’t I ever get you to do what I want you to?”

He laughed, low and sweet, curving his fingers around her ankles to hold her legs down against his lap. His entire body leaned closer over her knees, his lips curving in a smile she’d never seen before. It wasn’t one she liked. “I’ve never obeyed authority well. You have no idea how much I do restrain myself for you.” 

Sadly, Lisbon had absolutely no doubt that he was telling the truth. And she knew equally certainly that he made her freer from the same rules she’d lived her life by than anyone else ever had. “We should both worry about that, shouldn’t we, Jane?”

His face, hell, his whole body suddenly relaxed. The grip of his hands changed, returning to a roving massage of her feet and legs. “Oh, I think we’re doing pretty well, all things considered.” A soft laugh crossed his lips as she wiggled a little under his hands. “Statistically one or both of us should be in jail or an institution. Instead we’re free, pretty sane, and productive members of society.” 

“Some days more than others.” Lisbon just shook her head at him and relaxed into the couch cushions. There was something just so right about this evening, about Jane in her home, about his hands on her skin. About sharing the couch and the company for a movie, quiet conversation, and the warm pressure of a shoulder against her own. 

Eventually, though, it became obvious that even ten more minutes on this couch and the both of them were going to wake up with stiff necks from sleeping the night right here. Jane’s neck ache would have to be worse than hers would be. She was resting against his chest and shoulder while his head was bent forward to lean his chin on her hair. But he showed no intention of moving, his arms curled around her tightly. //Come on, Lisbon. You offered him a room, not half of a couch.\\\ 

“Hmm… Come on, Jane. It’s time to go to bed.” It was hard to give up the warmth of his arms around her, harder to give up the sound of his heart under her ear and the stroke of his fingers through her hair. But it was something she had to do. Patting his knee, Lisbon forced herself to her feet and out of his arms. The cold air sent a shiver along her nerves, and it was only going to get colder the longer she was away from his side. “I wouldn’t be a good host if I let you sleep on this couch.” 

She found herself reaching for his hands before her brain caught up with her body. Jane’s fingers curved around her palms as he came to his feet. “If my lady insists.” He curled an arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the stairs. “You get the bathroom first while I put away the dishes.” 

She might have argued, but he’d said it with a tone of finality. Besides, Lisbon had already decided to let him be charming. It was easier than putting up a fight. She leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “I have a dishwasher for a reason, Jane.” Shaking her head, Lisbon tossed a goodnight over her shoulder half way up the stairs. 

It should be weirder than this. She should feel creeped out at being naked in her bathroom while Jane was puttering around her kitchen. She should be putting on her most concealing nightclothes and wishing she hadn’t brought him home. But, it felt good, listening to him humming along with her records downstairs as she brushed her teeth. Her normal over-sized sports jersey nightshirt didn’t make her feel overexposed even though it hung over a shoulder and didn’t even hit her knees. The only thing that did feel weird was the knowledge that she wasn’t going to hold him in her arms while he slept tonight. It felt like she should. 

Like she wanted to. 

000


	4. Hot and Cold

See chapter one for author’s notes and disclaimers. Haha, full shippy at last.   
Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter four: Hot and cold 

He couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t that he wasn’t tired. It wasn’t anything wrong with the room or the bed. It wasn’t even the normal images behind his eyelids that had haunted his attempts to sleep for years. 

It was the cold. Not the temperature in the room. Between the central air and the blankets, Jane was perfectly comfortable. But there was a heat source missing. //Teresa,\\\ He curled his muscles a little tighter around the stuffed bear in his arms and wished it was her. She was the reason he had been able to sleep, last night at his house and any number of times he’d slept on his couch at the office. And even in her home, in her guest room, she was just too far away for the sleep magic to work. Not that he believed in magic or anything. 

Jane wanted her closer, needed her closer. He needed her back in his arms. His body moved without the full conscious permission of his brain. The next thing he knew, Jane was standing at Lisbon’s bedroom door with his daughter’s teddy bear dangling from one hand. His hand hesitated just above the wood as he argued with himself that he was asking too much, pushing too hard. The insomnia he’d suffered for years would be nothing compared to how he’d feel if he lost her. If he ever hurt her…

“Jane, just get in here.” 

He hadn’t knocked, but he had jumped about three feet straight up in the air at the sound of her voice. “Teresa?” Jane touched the door, opening it slowly and peeking around the edge into her inner sanctum. Her small frame was outlined by a quilt, her elbows braced behind her and her hair a tangle around her head. “Did I…”

“No, Jane, I couldn’t sleep either. And yes, I’m a good enough detective to notice the shadow of your feet hesitating on the other side of my bedroom door.” The light from the hallway was just bright enough to let him see her faint smile and the wave of her hand. “Come to bed, you goofball.” 

His feet seemed to know the way even though he’d never been inside the room before. Lisbon threw back the quilt in invitation and turned on her side, one hand stretched out towards him across the open space of the sheets. She had no idea how beautiful she was right now. But then she didn’t know how beautiful she always was. “Teresa,” He closed his eyes and slid into her bed, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her tight. 

Her lips brushed soft and warm against his forehead. Her hand ran once through his hair as her body moved closer and her head rested against his shoulder. “I’ve got you, Jane. Get some sleep.” The way she relaxed against his chest made every nerve in his body let go of the tension riding him. He buried his face in her hair and let himself soak in the heat of her. 

She wasn’t close enough. Even now, with Teresa Lisbon wrapped around his body, he needed something more. Jane watched his hand rub up the length of her back to cup his fingers along the edge of her jaw. His arm tilted her head back and he felt himself leaning closer. Her eyes met his, a little puzzled but not at all afraid. “Teresa,” Closing his eyes, he pressed his lips against hers just for a little more of her warmth. The lines of her body against his went tense for just an instant. Jane tried to prepare himself for rejection, to suddenly be cut off from her heat and cast out into the cold. To his surprise and delight, Teresa pressed closer, warm fingers on his jaw and sweet lips moving against his. He found one hand flat against her back, pulling her in just a little closer to slowly deepen this gentle kiss. The taste of her on his tongue sent a soul-deep warmth running through him. 

All too soon, the woman in his arms pulled back, just a little. “Patrick…” The sound of his name on her lips sent a trembling through the muscles in his back. Lisbon never used his first name, and never like that. 

He wasn’t ready… for any of this really. But the look on her face said that she wanted to talk. Tucking her close against his chest, Jane buried his face in her hair and rubbed both his hands along her back. “Sweet dreams, Teresa.” 

She hesitated a moment before relaxing into his arms with a quiet sigh. “Good Night, Jane.” The soft, sweet curl of her arms around him sent the heat he needed sliding along his nerves. Now she was almost close enough. Now he could feel her like he needed to. Now he could relax enough to sleep. 

Even still, Jane was awake just long enough to feel sleep overtake the woman in his arms, inch by inch of her small form relaxing warm against his body. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the scent of her hair and let out a little sigh of his own. This was the only way to sleep. 

The next thing he knew, it was morning. Teresa was still in his arms. She was in his arms and his daughter’s teddy bear was in hers. Dark hair tangled under his chin. Her ribs shifted against his chest as she cuddled closer, even in her sleep. Jane leaned his head on the heel of his hand and looked down at her. He could still taste her on his tongue, feel her lips against his own. He’d kissed her, for real. And she had kissed him back. The tiny fingers now caught in the fur of his daughter’s bear had cupped his face as her tongue danced with his. 

Part of him wanted to wake her with a kiss, wanted to bury his fingers in her hair and beg her to say she would stay with him. But what did a man like him have to offer. No one would argue that he was anything less than damaged goods. No one sane anyway. He’d been a thorn in her side since the day they’d met. Sure he was entertaining at times, and he helped her catch bad guys… but he certainly didn’t deserve the woman in his arms. He didn’t have the right to ask for more of her, no matter how much he needed all of her. “Teresa,” Jane watched his fingers slide through her hair to cup her cheek. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over her forehead.  
000

Some part of her had hoped for this moment. Not that she would have ever, ever admitted that to anyone. Ever. Lisbon had wondered what it would be like to get a real kiss from this crazy, infuriating man. Never had she thought it would happen for the first time in her own bed. And there was no way she could have imagined just how good it would feel. 

The hands she’d been watching for years ever so gently cupped her face and she knew that this time it wasn’t going to be a hard, fast press of lips. Those hot, blue eyes locked to hers as he slowly lowered his head with a whisper of her name. It took a second for her body to really believe he was kissing her, a second longer to get lost in the soft, hesitant press of his lips. Lisbon found her fingers cupping his jaw, afraid he was going to stop. He didn’t stop. Jane slowly deepened the kiss, the very tip of his tongue asking for permission. //Patrick,\\\ She opened for him, desperate for the taste and warmth of him closer. With a low, soft sigh Patrick Jane pulled her closer and danced his tongue against hers. So careful, so warm, so sweet. 

This wasn’t something she could ignore. It wasn’t something she could pretend never happened tomorrow morning. Lisbon needed to talk about this, to find out what he was really thinking and feeling before she couldn’t give it up again. Drinking in just another second of finally and fully being in his arms, Lisbon pulled back with a little groan. “Patrick…” She didn’t have the slightest clue what she’d been about to say, but the words disappeared at the sight of panic in his face. 

He hid. There was no other way to describe it. Jane pulled her flush against his ribs and hid his face in her hair. She could feel every muscle in his body go tight and trembling against hers. His voice was tightly, tightly controlled. “Sweet dreams, Teresa.” 

Yup, that was her frustrating Jane. It would take an act of God to get that man to process something one fucking second before he decided to. And beating her head against that particular brick wall wasn’t going to get either of them any sleep tonight. Letting her breath out in a long, slow controlled sigh, Lisbon held him closer and let the heat of his arms around her calm her nerves, even just a little. “Good night, Jane.” 

The slight tension in his body still hadn’t completely eased when sleep overtook her. But Lisbon slept well, warm and comfortable against every inch of his body. She’d never slept better than she did in his arms. It should scare her that she’d gotten used to having him this close, to needing him this close. That Lisbon had let herself become addicted to waking up to his warmth. That she adored him, even with all the shit he made her put up with. 

Lisbon kept her eyes closed and cuddled back against his chest. Her arms tightened, but instead of the smooth, solid heat of Patrick’s body, she felt the tickle of teddy bear fur. He’d entrusted her with his daughter’s teddy bear. And he’d kissed her, really kissed her. She stroked her fingertips along the bear’s ear, trying to pretend that the inside of her head was as peaceful as his body along hers. 

And then his body shifted. Behind her, Jane leaned up on one elbow and she could feel his eyes on her face. He was watching her sleep, at least he thought he was. One of those strong hands left her body only to run his fingers through her hair and cup her face in that warm palm. “Teresa,” There was something in his voice, some level of need or want that she was certain he didn’t intend her to hear. The sound of it made her hands clench and her breath catch. Then his lips touched her forehead, warm, soft and so careful and yet… that sense of want, of deep and lasting need that she’d heard in his voice was there in this chaste kiss. This wasn’t playacting, or a game, or manipulation of any kind. Patrick Jane thought she was asleep and that he didn’t have to hide or censor himself. Patrick felt this, really felt this warmth and need for her. He wanted her, maybe as much as she wanted him. //What the hell are we gonna do now?\\\ 

She kept her eyes closed until his lips left her skin and his hand left her face to rest lightly on her knee, skin to bare skin where her sleep shirt had ridden up during the night. Nerves all along her body couldn’t help a little shiver at the heat of his touch where she’d never felt him before. 

She couldn’t… she couldn’t just lay here and not react to this much heat in his touch, to the heat it caused in her. Teresa braced herself with a slow, deep breath before opening her eyes and turning in his arms. His hand stayed on the bare skin of her knees as her legs curled up against his stomach and hips. If anything, his fingertips inched just a little higher as his blue eyes searched her face. Teresa got her hands to his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart under her fingertips. “Patrick,” In his face, in the spread of his fingers over her skin, she could feel him react to the sound of his first name on her lips, and that reaction was warm. He still looked terrified, but he didn’t start hiding. //That’s my good boy, stay with me here.\\\ Teresa pressed a little closer, sliding both hands up the lines of his chest to wrap her arms around his neck. “What is it that we’re doing here, Patrick?” She let her fingers play just a little in his hair, knowing she was watching his lips and chewing on her own. “Why do we … feel… like this?” 

His arms pulled her closer, one strong hand sliding along her back as the other tucked her legs closer against his body. His eyes dropped to her lips for just a second before locking onto hers. He looked as confused as she felt. “Teresa, you know that you matter to me. More than anything, anyone. Tell me you know that.” The hand on her thigh tightened, spreading wide and warm against her skin as it followed the line of her leg upward. She couldn’t doubt the look in his eyes or the heat of his touch. 

Teresa found her hands cupping his face, her knee climbing his side to encourage that wandering hand. “I know that, Patrick. And you know how much I care about you, don’t you?” She didn’t wait for his words, just long enough to see the relief in his eyes, feel it in his hands. Then Teresa leaned in close and claimed his lips with her own. He wasn’t the only one who could move this thing between them along a little. She adored the low, rough sound on his lips as he opened to her exploring tongue. Sweet, wet, and hot, he tasted and felt like heaven. Teresa fisted a hand in the back of his shirt and desperately pressed closer, lost in finally knowing what it was like to be in his arms. It was only as the tips of his fingers traced the elastic band at her hip that her senses returned. She was about to start ripping off his clothes if they didn’t slow this down… right damn now. “Hmm, Patrick.” Teresa forced her fingers away from the buttons of his pajama shirt and rested her forehead against his. “We should really take this a little slower.” His fingers tightened at her hip with a low, helpless sound before they started to travel back down toward her knee. 

“You’re right. This is too important to rush, too real.” He stole a quick brush of lips before pulling back to climb out of her bed. “I’ll go start the coffee. You should get dressed.” His eyes trailed like a line of warmth over her skin, warmth she felt in every cell. Teresa only managed a quick nod before he gave her a smile and disappeared into the hall. 

“How in the hell are we going to handle this?” 

000


	5. Moving Forward

See chapter one for author’s notes and disclaimers. Haha, full shippy at last.   
Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter five: Moving Forward 

Jane spread his hands out wide on the kitchen counter, leaning on straight arms to support himself. He could taste her on his lips, feel the hot silk of her skin like it was still under his fingers. He hadn’t been able to help himself at the feel of Teresa Lisbon finally kissing him. Jane had let his fingers run up the lean, strong line of her thigh all the way to her hip. And she’d let him, let him touch her and kiss her back with all of himself. Teresa had pressed closer, tiny hands on his chest, on the buttons of his shirt. There’d been no hiding the heat of her response to him. It had been so sweet, so hard to pull back with the perfect curve of her hip in his hand and the heat of her lips under his. 

Every beautiful inch of her body had pressed closer in his arms. And he wanted it back. It was taking every ounce of his control to stand here in her kitchen and not take those stairs two at a time. It was even harder to resist knowing that she was getting dressed like he’d asked her to, hiding those beautiful legs under cloth so he couldn’t see them, touch them. 

Staring down at his hands, Jane understood why they’d had to stop, knew that Teresa Lisbon was important enough to him to do anything, anything he had to do for this to work out. And there was something he needed to do before any of this went further than it already had. Running his fingers through his hair, Jane looked at the gold band on his ring finger. She really would have loved Teresa, would want him to find happiness. If he believed in the afterlife, Jane would think his wife was watching the two of them like one of her old romantic movies, their daughter at her side and a big bowl of popcorn between them. 

It was time. He slipped the wedding band off his finger and crossed the apartment to carefully place it in the box with his family album. Now he should start the coffee, because Teresa would be coming down the stairs at any moment. 

The pot was making comforting gurgling noises as Jane gathered up mugs, sugar, spoons and creamer. Part of his brain was listening for the sound of doors and water upstairs. His girl was a practical one, she should be down pretty quickly. 

“The bathroom’s free.” A small hand rested on his back and he found himself smiling a little even as he turned. She was beautiful, always. But today, he could let himself think about it, see it in more than an abstract way. Now he could appreciate the curve of her lips and the stubborn point of her chin. Now he could lean down and kiss her if… when… he wanted to, put his arms around her and cuddle her close. “I can start breakfast if you know what you want.” Her body leaned against his arm, lower than usual as she was barefoot. “It’s my turn to cook for you and I assume you already looked through all the cupboards.” 

Patrick slid his arm around her, tucking her close against his right side. “Would I snoop around in your apartment?” 

Her wide smile and raised eyebrows were perfectly sounded by a sharp laugh. “In a heartbeat. So savory or sweet?” 

He needed a kiss. She was simply too beautiful to resist right now. Patrick raised his hand to run the tips of his fingers up her jaw, tilting her face up towards his. It took a little sharper an angle in his neck to get his lips to hers and his hand flattened against her skin to help the balance. She tasted so sweet on his tongue that he was helpless to pull back. Catching her face in both hands, he deepened this delicious kiss, adoring the clench of her hands in the front of his shirt. “Teresa,” He returned to her lips for another taste.

She kissed him back eagerly, her hands slowly rising to slide warm and sweet along the backs of his until their fingers intertwined. It was only then that he felt something else move through every inch of her body. Teresa pulled back out of his hands but kept their fingers locked. Big, dark eyes met his before they dropped to his naked ring finger with something between shock and panic on her face. “Patrick, you… what… I don’t understand.” 

He waited until her eyes were back on his face before lifting her hands to his lips. “It was time. I’ve spent years holding onto the past. We got Red John. It was over. The time came to move forward…” Patrick kissed her palm, nuzzling into her hand. “With you.” 

She trembled in his arms, pressing closer against his chest with shiny eyes. “Are you sure, Patrick? Are you absolutely sure about this?” Her hand cupped his jaw, the fingers of her other hand playing along the paler band of skin on his finger. “About us?” 

He felt the tears in her eyes like they were his own, felt the nervous tension in every inch of her body as he pulled her closer. Teresa Lisbon didn’t understand just how vital she was to him. But she would, soon enough. “Yes, I’m very sure. About this, about us, about you.” She trembled and he helplessly pulled her closer, tightening one arm around her waist. “I need you, Teresa, so much.” Before his eyes, relief filled every inch of her face and relaxed the muscles pressed so close against his own. 

Her arms curled tight around his neck, hands catching in his hair. “You have me. I’m right here with you, Patrick.” Her eyes fell closed for a second before they locked on his as a smile curved her lips. There were no tears in her eyes at all, just warmth. “And I need you, too.” 

He couldn’t say which of them crossed the distance first, but it didn’t really matter as long as he could taste her on his tongue. Nothing mattered except feeling more of her heat. Patrick was lost in the kiss until he groaned low in his throat at the feel of her pressing closer. His hands slid to her hips, fingertips burning up at the thought of the bare skin tempting him from above her belt. //Slow, remember? Slow and real, because this matters.\\\ Patrick just managed to pull back from the kiss and keep his hands outside her clothes. The breathless moan on her lips made his fingers clench in the back of her shirt. He rested his forehead against hers with his eyes closed for the span of his own breathless sound. “Something sweet, please. The coffee should be ready and I’ll be right back down.” 

“Sounds good,” Teresa was the strong one, pulling herself out of his arms with a low, soft sound. “I’ll even make some tea, just like you drink it.” 

The stairs sounded under his feet. But what he really heard was the faint happy sound of Teresa humming under her breath as she puttered about the kitchen. There was something so right about that sound. 

000

000


	6. Being Ready

See chapter one for author’s notes and disclaimers. Haha, full shippy at last.   
Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter six: Being ready 

It wasn’t easy to let go of his hand in the headquarters parking lot. But it had to be done. Lisbon knew that at least Cho and probably Van Pelt would notice the difference between them fairly quickly anyway. But why advertise the change in their relationship by walking into the office holding hands. It was a pretty clear signal that something had changed just by the bare line of skin on his left hand. 

“Are you sure, Patrick? You know Hightower would give you more time off than this.” Her fingers twitched and suddenly found themselves twined through his on the seat between them. “If you’re not ready…” 

“I’m ready, Teresa.” Jane lifted their joined hands to brush his lips over her knuckles with a soft smile. “Besides, the temptation to actually snoop around in your apartment would be so much harder to resist without you there to keep me in line. I want to be here.” He leaned forward to press a quick, simple kiss to her lips before pulling both hands and lips off her skin. “Let’s go catch some bad guys.” 

“Okay,” Lisbon found herself biting her lip and reaching for the door handle. Had he always had this much power over her nerves? Or was it just since he’d started touching her? Either way, it was time to force it back enough to work. 

Hightower had finally relented about team romances when Rigsby and Van Pelt had gotten together the second time around, but there were still rules about in office behavior. Handholding, gazing, and especially kissing were forbidden. So she should get her eyes off his lips and get out of the car. “Come on, Jane. Let’s get to work.” 

Mere steps from the bumper, Jane put his hand warm and low against the small of her back. His fingers were trembling ever so faintly and it was comforting. Lisbon wasn’t the only one a little nervous now that they were outside the safe and private confines of home. “After you, my lady.” Inside the lobby his hand fell away, but he slipped into their normal ‘analyze the people in line’ game without a pause. “The woman in blue over there… she’s planning to quit her job. Probably has her letter of resignation in her briefcase right now.”

“No, come on. Really? What makes you say that?” Lisbon found herself leaning against his arm just a little closer than their normal whispering stance. She needed that warmth against her skin, had gotten too used to having him close over the last few days. 

Her breath caught just a little as he leaned even closer, his breath brushing against her ear. “See the way she’s playing with her name badge, sort of glaring down at it. She wants it, and the job it represents, gone.” He laughed, low and soft and she felt a shiver run through her at the sound. “The affair with her married boss didn’t work out.” 

“And what tells you that she was sleeping with her boss?” Lisbon just managed not to jump away from Jane at the sound of Cho’s whisper. She was not feeling guilty. Nope, not at all. 

“Well, my friend,” Jane didn’t flinch at all, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d noticed the other agent coming. That was like him to be so observant. “Do you see that antique cameo she’s wearing? It doesn’t match any of her other jewelry. Clearly a gift, something from a much older man. But the place it’s pinned on her blouse is far more intimate than parental.” 

“Why is she wearing his gift if she’s quitting?” Lisbon kept her voice even and steady despite the fact that her body leaned closer on its own. His hand hovered warm before resting against her back. 

“Some last little vengeance, I would guess.” 

“Sometimes I’m sure you’re just making it all up as you go. But, Jane, you’re always right, I gotta give you that.” Cho clapped him on the shoulder and his voice turned serious. “How are you holding up?” 

The hand on her back tensed, just a little, and Lisbon found herself stepping in to protect him. Not from Cho, but from thinking or reacting. “He’s going to be fine, Cho. It’s been a rough couple of weeks.” 

“I’m sure it has. For all of us. Just be ready when we get upstairs. Van Pelt’s probably going to break a couple of your ribs hugging you so hard.” 

The hand on her back relaxed and the laughter shook his ribs against her arm. “As long as Rigsby doesn’t hug me to death next for touching his wife, I’ll be fine.” 

“Oh, he’s probably gonna hug you, too. But it won’t be ‘cause you touched his girl. It’ll be ‘cause he’s Rigsby.” Cho slugged him one more time on the shoulder with a slight smile. “And be ready for everyone else in the office to start cheering, crying or clapping.” 

Of course everyone they worked with was waiting for them, for him really. Anyone that had any contact with their team knew about Red John and Jane. There might not be enough pizza in the world for this particular case-closed party. 

“Come on, guys, let’s get this part done so we can get to work sometime today.” Lisbon made herself pull away from his hand and led the way to the elevator. She watched the look on Cho’s face change ever so slightly when Jane punched the floor button with his left hand. Dark eyes flicked to that bare ring finger before meeting hers with a silent question. Knowing that she had no real answer to give him, Lisbon simply shrugged with her eyebrows and stepped just a little closer to Jane’s side. 

A tiny little smile started to curve Cho’s lips just as the elevator doors opened. Then they were all distracted by the redhead flying through. “Jane,” 

Lisbon couldn’t help the wide smile on her face as Jane took a step back to brace himself for Van Pelt’s flying tackle of a hug. “Hey, Grace, is this a hug or an attack?”

“A hug, you idiot. Now hug me back or I’ll shoot you.” Jane was laughing as he obeyed, arms closing around her gently. He set her back on her feet after a few moments, her eyes locking on his face. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m doing better, Grace. How about the two of you?” One hand rested against the curve of her stomach. Another few weeks and she’d been completely desk bound until she went on maternity leave. 

“We’re good, but then you know that.” Grace put a hand over his on her ‘baby bump’ as Wayne called it fondly. Then her face twisted and her eyes dropped to the fingers against the front of her shirt. Of course she noticed the missing ring too. Grace was very aware of things in general and of the wellbeing of the people in her life far more acutely. “Jane?”

“I’m ready, Grace, it’s time.” Jane flashed a wide smile back at Lisbon and reached for her hand. Mindlessly, she twined her fingers through his and followed him out of the elevator to the sound of an entire office of cheering cops. 

Lisbon felt her eyes tearing up at the sight before her. Cho was absolutely right. Every single person on the floor was standing within sight of the elevator and they were all crying, cheering or clapping. Some two out of the three. She was crying and laughing herself in the moment before Wayne appeared in front of them to fling an arm around each of them. Lisbon found her face tucked against heaving ribs as Jane’s fingers tightened around hers. He was pressed against Wayne’s shoulder by one strong arm. She always forgot just how tall Rigsby was. 

“Hey, guys.” That big body pulled back but left a hand on Jane’s shoulder. “You guys are looking good.” Wayne’s voice was just a little hesitant, almost a question. Big puppy dog eyes jumped between the two of them like they were about to be ‘not okay’ on a serious level.

“Thanks, Rigsby. We’re fine.” Jane’s voice was smiling as widely as his lips. His bare hand patted Rigsby on the shoulder before he pulled back to face the rest of the office. Lisbon, still attached to his hand, was forced to follow a half step behind as he gave a deep, theatrical bow. “Thank you all for your support on this case. It’s been a long, difficult task, but we’ve got Red John.” 

The cheering somehow got impossibly louder and Lisbon found herself again in Jane’s arms. He wrapped both arms tight around her waist and lifted her against his chest. She barely got her arms around his neck for balance before he spun a few dizzying circles, whispering in her ear. “Thank you, Teresa. Thank you so much, sweetheart, for everything.” 

She blamed the spinning for the extra few seconds she stayed buried against his chest after her feet touched the floor again. But if Lisbon were to be honest, she didn’t trust herself to lift her head off his shoulder without dragging him down for a kiss. Right in front of everyone, including their boss. “You’re Welcome, Patrick, tell me you know that.” 

Her chest only got tighter at the stroke of his fingers along her back and his low whisper. “I know it.”

000


	7. Following Orders

000  
Good Night’s Sleep   
By AnitaB  
Chapter seven: Following Orders 

He knew he had to stopping touching her. At least here at work. But he was putting it off as long as he could. Jane needed Teresa’s skin against his or he started feeling cold all over. As long as everyone in the office was hugging him, he saw absolutely no reason to give up the warm grip of her hand on his. 

Jane had stolen one last real hug and a few whispered words before he had forced himself to let her go. That didn’t mean that he intended to be more than five feet from her side at all today. 

Eventually, they did have to tone down the celebration and get back to work. Instead of settling on the couch in the bullpen, Jane moved to the sofa in Teresa’s office to read through his share of the case files. She’d helped him pack, he could pitch in on a little paperwork. Besides, his Teresa kept glancing up at him across the surface of her desk with warm little smiles. There was a lot he would do for that look on her face. 

A sudden knock on the door turned his head and raised hers. Cho stood in the open door, seemingly upside down because of the way Jane was lying on the couch. “Hightower wants to see you.” Teresa closed the file on her desk and started to stand. Jane was a touch slower in sitting up. “Just Jane, apparently.” 

“Okay, then.” He smiled at the suspicion in her voice as she opened her file again. “Have you done something I should know about?”

“How could I? I’ve been constantly supervised for days.” Jane gave Teresa a quick smile and brushed his fingers over the back of her hand as he set his files on her desk. “I’ve been a very good boy lately.” 

He adored the arch of her eyebrow and the tiny little quirk of her lips. But he wasn’t going to kiss her in front of Cho no matter how cute she looked. Or how sweet he remembered her tasting. “Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s keep it that way, Jane.” 

“That’s the plan.”

Cho cleared his throat in the doorway, folded his arms over his chest, and gave them a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. “I do think the boss meant sometime today, Jane.” 

It was hard to pull back from her fingers and even more difficult to give up the vision of her smile. But like Cho said, the boss meant now, not when he’d had enough of Teresa’s warmth. “I’m coming, Cho, I’m coming.” He straightened his suit jacket and walked into Hightower’s office. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, Mr. Jane. Please have a seat.” Part of him was waiting for the other shoe to fall even as she shuffled her papers and folded her hands across her blotter. “I must admit that I was a little surprised to see you this morning.” 

“Really, why?” Jane matched her body language with his own, leaning back in the chair and folding his hands across his stomach. “Where else did you think I would be?”

“Frankly I expected that the day after Red John was … taken care of… that you’d send the team a postcard from some little beach town in South America and we’d never hear from you again.”

Jane had thought about it before. Only early on though. Now the thought of leaving Teresa and the team made disappearing beyond impossible. “The day after, even I don’t move that fast.” 

“Well, then I expected Lisbon and her team to be searching frantically for you for about a week before the postcard reached them.” Hightower’s smile was a little cold as she leaned forward on her elbows. “So why is it that you’re staying on with us?”

“Didn’t you want me to? I mean, you are always saying that I’m one of the department’s most valuable resources, that I’m golden.”

“That’s why I’m happy to see you. That’s not why you stayed.” Her eyes turned speculative and her head tilted to the side. “You’re sleeping with Lisbon, aren’t you?”

He was surprised at her blunt attack, but not at her insight. She’d known just how much Teresa mattered to him longer than the woman in question had. “Define sleeping.”

“Do I really need to, Jane?” Her face twisted, her hands folding against the surface of her desk. “But to avoid confusion I’ll be very specific. Are you sexually involved with your handler and superior, Agent Teresa Lisbon?” 

//Not yet, but I will be soon.\\\ “No, I have not been sexually intimate with Lisbon.” He was telling the truth, at the moment anyway. But Jane could still taste her kiss, feel the heat of her in his arms, the smooth silk of her skin under his fingers. “Not that it is any of your business. But to avoid confusion, I’ll be specific. We are romantically involved and that is not going to change.” 

Hightower gave him a faint smile and arched one eyebrow. “With how stubborn the two of you are, I doubt anything I could say would make a difference. So I’ll ask a question instead. Do you love Lisbon?”

//Yes, more than anything.\\\ Jane gave her back a faint smile and tilted his head. “I may not have been in a relationship in quite a long time, but even I know that a true gentleman talks about that with the lady first.” 

Hightower looked surprised in the instant before a wide smile spread across her face. “I’ll ask a different question then. Are you ever going to make me or my team deal with the two of you after a breakup?” 

It was a valid question. Statistics called for the vast majority of relationships to end badly. Now that he had finally gotten Teresa in his arms, could he ever let her go? //Not a chance in hell.\\\ Jane would fight to keep her, even if it was Teresa he ended up doing some or most of that fighting with. “I can’t see that happening unless one of us is dead.” He shrugged. “Probably me.” 

Now Hightower was smiling even wider. “I guess that will have to do. For now, at least. If she kills you, I’m not doing the paperwork. I’ll have my boys bury your body in the woods first.” 

“If she ever kills me, Rigsby or Cho will do those honors before you ever have any idea that I’ve died.” He sat back in his chair and gave Hightower a grin. “Given their skills, I’m certain that all you’ll ever have to do is rubber stamp my missing persons report. Then maybe a postcard will arrive from some little beach town.”

“As long as we’re clear.” He watched her shuffle the papers on her desk before she nodded. “Go give your new girlfriend a kiss and get back to work. Consider it my contribution to the case-closed party.” Her hand waved in the air. “Tomorrow you’re both on your best office behavior or I’ll suspend you for a week without pay. Now get out of my office.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t help smiling on the way back to his new girlfriend’s office, just imagining Teresa’s face if she’d heard her new title. Jane stopped in her doorway for a moment. //That’s my girl.\\\ She was so beautiful it took his breath away. And for whatever reason he couldn’t really understand, she wanted to be with him. “Teresa,” Leaving her door wide open and not giving a damn about the open blinds, Jane stepped to her side and reached for her hands. A quick tug had her on her feet and in his arms. Two steps that she followed instinctively had them right in the middle of her window, in plain view of the entire office.

“Patrick?” He gave her a soft smile at the concern in her voice before leaning down to claim her lips with his own. Jane adored the instant response he could feel in every inch of her body, in the sweet taste of her on his tongue. Teresa’s arms curled around his neck as she deepened the kiss with a low, sweet sound in the back of her throat. She tasted so good, felt so good pulling him closer that he almost didn’t hear the round of clapping just outside the open door. Almost. But there was no way in hell that he was pulling back until she did. Jane would never get enough of her and he’d take any second he could get. Fisting both hands in the back of her shirt, he pulled her even closer for a few more seconds in her kiss. Only when her hands flattened against his chest did he open his arms and raise his head. “Patrick, what are you doing?”

“Just following orders, Teresa. Hightower told me to kiss my new girlfriend and get back to work.” He watched his fingers trail through her hair before he followed the glance of her eyes out the window. “And she also said we aren’t allowed to break up or kill each other.”

She smiled and tilted her head. “I guess it’s a good thing that I’m planning to keep you around then, huh?” He groaned low in his throat at the feel of her fingers playing through his hair and the relaxation of her body against his chest. “I wouldn’t want to make you disobey orders. What did she say exactly about the normal PDA restrictions in the office?” Teresa’s eyes flicked to his lips before meeting his with enough heat that he knew he had to kiss her again. Right now. 

“She said that today was her gift for the case-closed party. Tomorrow doing this…” He dipped his head, smiling against her lips when she went on tiptoe to meet him. It was a slow, sweet kiss, almost chaste. But it marked their claim on each other as clearly as possible for the audience outside the window. It still wasn’t enough of her taste or her warmth, but it would have to do for now. “In the office would get us both suspended without pay.” 

“That’s what I thought. But we’re good for now, as her present to us.” Her arms tightened around his neck and he was leaning back down before her words called him closer. “So I guess we should take advantage of it while we can. Kiss me again and then get back to work.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Jane gladly stole one more, sweet kiss before he let her out of his arms. “That sounds like a plan.” He lifted her hand, brushing his lips across the racing pulse in her wrist. “But we’re not the only ones not working right now.”

“I’ve got that.” Teresa walked to the door to the sound of whistles and catcalls. “Show’s over, folks, get back to work or you’ll be doing paperwork in triplicate until your fingers fall off. Rigsby, get your jaw off the floor. Van Pelt, wipe that smile off your face. Cho, fire anyone still standing here one minute after I’ve closed this door.”

“Yes, Boss.” Cho merely arched one eye-brow and started herding people back to their desks. 

He’d never in his life seen anything as beautiful as Teresa Lisbon shutting the door and snapping closed the blinds before walking right back into his arms with a smile. Jane wrapped those arms tight around her waist and found words on his lips before his mind finished thinking them. “Have I told you lately just how much I love you, Teresa?” 

He had a split second to be terrified that he’d pushed her too far, too fast. That he’d scared or disgusted her. Then the expression on her face made heat and relief rush through his blood. Teresa smiled, nearly melted against his chest and breathed a low, almost desperate sound into a soft, sweet kiss. She locked her eyes to his with a deep, shaky breath. “No, not really, but I sorta picked up on it anyway. And… and I… I love you, too, Patrick.” 

She stole his heart right out of his chest and his ability to speak disappeared right along with it. But he needed, more than his next breath, to show her just how much that look on her face and those words on her lips mattered to him. That she mattered to him. Jane found his fingers trembling as they cupped her face. He barely managed to give her a smile before leaning down to put every single ounce of the emotion he was feeling into the touch of their lips. It was perfect and it still wasn’t enough. He could kiss her forever and it still wouldn’t be enough. With that in mind, Jane fought to pull back with a low groan. “I guess we should get to work, shouldn’t we?” 

She bit her lip and shook her head. “Not just yet.” He helplessly watched the tip of her tongue stroke over that gorgeous lower lip. It was like she didn’t want him to breathe. “I… need… Kiss me.” 

He was just following orders, after all. “Yes, boss.” Holding her as tight as he could, Jane claimed her lips for another taste of heaven. 

000


End file.
